Letters across the ocean: An unlikely Friendship
by Star Lin
Summary: Darien Shields, a young child that dream of a princess.  Splinter, raising four sons all of them different from the humans.  How these two became friends through exchanging notes and how it became a line for those in need of a family.
1. Chapter 1

Title: An unlikely Friendship (Part of the Letters across the Ocean series)

Chapter: 1

By: Star Lin

Characters Mamoru and Splinter

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT or Sailor Moon. I'm borrowing them from their respective owners.

Notes: This came about from a weird dream I had a couple of weeks ago. I think it had to do with watching the first 5 season of the 2k3 TMNT and searching out Mamoru/Darien AMV from Sailor Moon. It's a what-if story base around the idea that Mamoru wasn't without some kind of family.

Darien waited a few second until his mother and father own door clicked shut. He quietly slipped from his bed, still mad about missing most of July 4th fireworks because he was too young to stay up. He moved over to the window, peeking out through the partly open curtain, and hoping to catch any fireworks that might still be going on. He watched the people below, spotting one of the local boys with his parents. It so wasn't fair and just because he was four, almost five, that he couldn't stay up see it.

He rested his chin on his folded arms and frowned at the last group that seem to be hugging the wall. The figures were wearing cloaks, four of them seem to be about his height or smaller, and the taller one would have come up to his dad's chest. The taller figure stopped at the alleyway and then herded the three that had been following him into the alleyway. The figure lifted his hand, the boy guessed, to wake the fourth small cloaked figure. He wondered if it was some of the homeless people but why go down a dead end alley?

He lean a little closer to the window, barely even breathing as he strain to see where they were going. He watched the figure lean down, sitting the small figure down, and then lifted the manhole cover in the alley. Why were they living in the sewers? It seemed really sad, kind of like the Princess he would dream about that was trapped in her castle. Maybe he could do something for them since he didn't know how to get the princess out of her castle.

/\/\/\

It was a couple of weeks later that he found his chance to do something. He hadn't seen the kids again but he saw the adult come up from the sewer, so he began to work on his plan. The young boy was up and rummaging through the old clothes that would be given to the homeless shelter that day. He did the same with the old toys that he didn't play with anymore. He chewed on his lip and went back to his room. There was an old blanket that he would use when he got scared but he didn't get scared that often. It was a big sacrifice but his mother always said that sacrifice had to be made sometimes. So nodding to himself, he placed it with all the other items, and placed them in a plastic bag.

He thought about writing a note to the adult but held off on it for now. He then went to check on his parents. He listened at their door but didn't hear a sound. He was sure that they were asleep, and with bag in hand, he snuck out the door. He hoped that his parents would still be asleep by the time he got back. It was still dark outside but late enough that the thugs that prowl the street weren't out at this moment. He slipped a stone into the doorway, allowing the door to look like it was closed but not fully catch. It was a tick he had heard some of the older kids used when sneaking out to smoke pot. 'Why would you want to smoke a pot?' He could only guess that he would find out when he got older.

Taking a quick look at the road and not seeing any cars, he ran across the street, and into the alley. 'We're to put this?' he thought. He walked down the alley and stopped at the manhole. He frowned, not sure where to put this. He could leave it next to the bind but it might get thrown in the garbage. He wasn't sure if he could get the manhole cover up to drop the sack down there. It was then that he heard the movement from the manhole, sound of the lid being raised. He turned, seeing the lid lift a little, and left the bag where it was. Not sure what else to do, he quickly ran over to the bind, and hided as best he could.

/\/\/\

Splinter had paused as the scent as he began to lift the manhole cover, listening to the sound of movement away from this doorway between the sewers and that of the surface. He motion to his son to stay still, causally lifting the cover the rest of the way, and took in the alleyway. The bag was the first thing to catch his eyes, the rat reaching to open the bag, and his eyes widen at the sight of clothes and toys. His ears then picked up the shuffle of shoes and he turn to see small shoes sticking out from beside the garbage bind.

Not wanting his son involved in what might take place, he slid the cover back into place, and taking the bag in hand, he hoped up onto the fire escape. He waited a moment and then the small figure moved from his hiding place, quickly making his way over to the manhole. Splinter was startled at such a young human child being out on his own. Where were the child's parents at? He watched the as he study the cover and then head back across the street to a brownstone.

He dropped down to the ground, quickly making his way over to the manhole and slipped the cover open. He could see his son hiding in the shadows of the tunnel. "Master Splinter?" he asked, as the rat joined his turtle son.

"I am alright, Donatello," Splinter said. "I found somethings that I think you and your brothers will like." Taking his son hand, he began to lead the way back. He would have to make sure not to take this route again. Yet, it warmed his heart that such kindness could be found in the smallest of humans.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: An unlikely Friendship (Part of the Letters across the Ocean series)

Chapter: 2

By: Star Lin

Characters Mamoru and Splinter

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT or Sailor Moon. I'm borrowing them from their respective owners.

Notes: This came about from a weird dream I had a couple of weeks ago. I think it had to do with watching the first 5 season of the 2k3 TMNT and searching out Mamoru/Darien AMV from Sailor Moon. It's a what-if story base around the idea that Mamoru wasn't without some kind of family.

It has been a month since Splinter had used this route to return home from a surface run. He was hopping that it was nothing to be concern about. He knew that some of the human were good but he didn't want to risk his new family. Even now, he could feel the pain of loss for his beloved Master Yoshi. The pain never truly left but his sons bright laughter helped ease his heart a little. Thinking of his sons reminded him why he was taking this route.

Raphael had developed a cough, one that had kept his second oldest son up most of the night and weak in bed for most of the day. The cough was gone now but it had left the young one's throat sore. Leaving Leonardo in charge of his brothers, he went to gather herbs that would help to ease the soreness in his throat. He used this route for it was the most direct to their home. Splinter stopped at the corner, eyes glancing up at the child's home. The windows were dark and there seem to be no movement from any of the windows. He still moved casually through the shadows and into the alley. He made his way toward the manhole, stopping as he found a bag sitting next to it, and what appeared to be a note attach.

Splinter's gaze turned back to that building but there still seem to be no movement in any of the windows. He removed the note, noticing the note was written in crayon, and in a child's hand. He knew this from his own sons attempt to learn to write. He could not make it all out but it seemed the child had been worried. The rat shook his head, amazed, and touched by the young one's concern. He then looked into the bag, finding building blocks inside of it. Not the small ones that ended up washed down into the sewers but the bigger ones that would be easier to hold. He knew that Donatello would be fond of them and eases the child's need to take things apart.

The child had a kind heart but he still put himself at risk for these night delivers that he made. He took a moment to search through one of the garbage bags in the bind, coming up with a pin that had just a little bit of ink still in it. 'This should do,' Splinter thought. He folded the paper a couple of times before writing on it. He wrote thanks and added that he didn't have to give them anything else. Then he unfolded it and folded it a different way again. Once he was done, he slipped it under the bind, just enough of the crayon marked paper showing.

As he adjusted the paper one last time, he thought of his own sons, who would be at ease and asleep once he returned home. He stood and went back over to the manhole. He quickly drops back into the sewers, making his way to the sons that needed him.

/\/\/\/

Darien was up bright and early that Saturday, eager to see if the stranger had gotten this bag. The bag had always still been in place each morning that he woke up and he had become worried that the little family was hurt. It was why he wrote that note and had tried to stay awake at the window. He was surprise to find himself in bed and sunlight coming in his window. He must have fallen asleep but he wasn't sure how he ended up in bed.

He crawled out of bed, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and made his way down to the kitchen. "Mommy? Daddy?" he called out.

"In here, Darien," his mom voice came from the stove. She stood up as she removed a pan of rolls from the oven. The smell of cinnamon made him hurry the rest of the way down the stairs.

His dad gave a smile as he sat down the coffee cup. "Found you asleep at the window again. Moon grazing again?" he asked. It wasn't the first time they had found him that way. His son seems to love the night sky, especially the moon. If he got that promotion then he would get him a telescope to gaze at the stars. "So what are your great plans for today, Darien?" he asked.

"John asked if I would play ball catcher today," he said around a mouth full of sticky and cinnamon goodness. "He's also going to show me how to play stick ball."

His mother shook her head, having watched the game. Young John was a good coach, finding a way for the little kids to play too but not be involved in the rough phase of the game the older kids played. Then he and the other boy, Steele, would make sure that the kids got home for lunch and make sure the parents were ok with the kids playing another round of ball.

After he eats, he went back up to change clothes. "Morning, Steele," he called, the black boy nodding at the kid. Steele called out for his small group, making sure everyone had a hold of someone else before they went across to the other side of the street. They meet up with the group John had collected from that side. A couple of the adults from the youth center was also helping out, putting some of the other kids parents mind at ease.

The group began to head up to the Basketball court, Darien hanging back so that he could check the alley. He saw that the bag was gone but wasn't sure if it had been picked up by the small family or someone else. He turned to catch up with the rest of the group when he saw the bit of paper. The paper that he had wrote a note on. He bent down to pull it out, frowning at the image he saw in his head of four green turtle kids.

"Hey, Darien, come on," John called out. "You're going to get left behind."

"I'm coming," he said. He stuffed the note in his pocket and put the image out of his mind. It wasn't the first time he saw images in his head when he touch something. His parents just thought it was his imagination, like the dream princess. Once it was in his pocket, Darien then ran to catch up with the group.


End file.
